Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2009: A class act

By RACHEL BLOUNT, Star Tribune

Last update: November 9, 2009 - 10:09 PM

CLASS ACT

The 2009 class of the Hockey Hall of Fame was inducted Monday night in Toronto. A look at the inductees:

Brett Hull: After two seasons at Minnesota Duluth, Hull won two Stanley Cups in his 19-season NHL career with Calgary, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix. He and Hall of Famer Bobby Hull are the only father and son to each record 600 goals and 1,000 points. Hull's 741 regular-season goals rank third in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe, and his 86 goals in 1991 are the third-highest single-season total. He is now co-general manager of the Dallas Stars.

Brian Leetch: The first U.S.-born player to be named most valuable player of the NHL playoffs, Leetch played 18 seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto and Boston. He scored 247 goals and 1,028 points in 1,205 games. Leetch holds the NHL record for most goals by a rookie defenseman (23) and ranks second for most points by a defenseman in a single season (71).

Luc Robitaille: The 10th-leading goal scorer in NHL history, Robitaille holds league records for most goals (668), points (1,394) and points in a single season (125) by a left winger. His eight consecutive 40-goal seasons is third in NHL history behind Gretzky and Mike Bossy. He played 19 seasons with Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, the Rangers and Detroit and now is the president of business operations for the Kings.

Steve Yzerman: During his 22 seasons with Detroit, Yzerman served as team captain for 20 years, the longest tenure in NHL history. He led the Wings to the playoffs 20 times and won three Stanley Cups while scoring 1,940 points, fifth on the NHL's all-time list. A 2002 Olympic gold medalist for Canada, Yzerman is general manager of Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics and is the Red Wings' vice president for hockey.

Lou Lamoriello: An inductee in the builders' category, Lamoriello has been president and general manager of the New Jersey Devils for 21 seasons and has won three Stanley Cups. He was a coach at Providence College, was Big East Conference commissioner and was general manager of the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team in 1998.

Rachel Blount

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